Ward Tonsfeldt

Celebrating the Siuslaw: a Century of Growth Ward Tonsfeldt

In Celebrating the Siuslaw, Ward Tonsfeldt traces the history of the Siuslaw National Forest from its origins at the beginning of the 20th century through its centennial year in 2008. The Siuslaw's location on the Oregon coast has made the forest a lightning rod for many public lands management issues. These include controversies surrounding the creation of National Forests, Native American reservations, land fraud, World War I lumber procurement, New Deal resettlement programs, World War II coastal defense, the heavy timber production of the post-war decades, and the late 20th century environmental movement. All are played out in a setting of spectacular scenery, quiet communities, and within the endemic economic problems of the Oregon coast. Drawing from rich collections at the Siuslaw National Forest, the Knight Library of the University of Oregon, and the Oregon Historical Society, this collection brings a century of the voices of those who worked on the Forest and lived in the surrounding communities into the present.